The use of children and the ways in which children are affected as a consequence of armed conflict has been an ongoing problem for decades in the Mindanao region of the Philippines. In one of Asia’s lengthiest insurgencies, The National People’s Army (NPA) a gorilla wing of the communist party, has been fighting in opposition to the Government since 1969, and the separatist rebel group Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) a group that broke away from the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) has been fighting for an independent Islamic state for almost forty years.        

According to the UN children’s agency it is believed that 30,000 to 50,000 children are annually displaced by conflict in the Philippines. When children are caught up in civil conflict, they can end up being forcibly displaced; they can lose families, access to medical facilities, schooling and they are also vulnerable to becoming victims of human trafficking, or being recruited and used for military purposes.    

Displaced, orphaned and impoverished children are at a greater risk of being exploited by militant groups and if they are rescued, there are not always sufficient resources for ongoing rehabilitation. As there may not be access to many constructive activities for youth in their communities, in some cases children will make the choice to return to the military to escape their poverty and to find a sense of purpose and belonging.

Peace endeavors in the Philippines in recent years have helped the violence to diminish and has opened a discourse on the matter of child soldiers. But communist insurgents and the separatist movements are reported to be growing, along with accounts that youths are being recruited. Solid figures are hard to estimate due to lack of sufficient methods in monitoring, but according to a 2015 report from the humanitarian news and analysis agency IRIN, it is believed that the NPA (with roughly 5000 soldiers) is using an estimated 340 children, though it is thought that the figures could be much greater. In the MILF military camps, it has been reported that figures could be over a thousand.   

The continuous, diligent investigation and action from Human Rights and UN agencies has been crucial for implementing frameworks on child protection within militant groups, who should be supplying proof that no breaches of the rights of children are taking place.

Though progress in the peace process is slow, the government and the UN are taking action to address the issues of child soldiers and child protection, under International Law. Informed Action Plans such as the UN-MILF plan is a key component in ensuring that the rights of children in relation to insurgents, stay protected. UNICEF is supporting the process through orientations throughout MILF Base Commands, focusing on setting out the roles and accountability of leadership.

But cultural distinctions are also crucial to the discussions. For children born into MILF communities, armed struggle is always present, along with an obligation to push forward in the struggle. Boys older than 13 are generally regarded as adults and it is considered their duty to help their families. It has been reported in IRIN that the MILF have said that the children pinpointed by UNICEF are not in the combat zone, but helping in their communities.

By clarifying violations against children as well as explaining sanctions for non-compliance, UNICEF is providing a framework to protect children under 18 within the conflict. MILF Commanders have in turn been committing to sanctions to ensure that children are detached from the military structures of command.

Until an end to militarization is possible, peace negotiations will be on-going. The Continuation of investigation into child soldiers, the implementation of action plans, the raising of awareness of violations against children under international law along with policy and sanctions, provides a framework for the protection of children, in the ongoing struggle against the recruitment of child soldiers within militant groups in the Mindanao region.